School Retention Programme (SRP)
This programme focuses on children in the age group of 6 to 14 (i.e. those in the primary school going age). It aims at helping students not only academically but also through motivation, incentives and counselling. This is achieved through the establishment of Child Resource Centres (CRCs) in various localities / schools. The centres increase interest of students in learning by creative, enjoyable, hands-on ways of learning. In these centres, children are classified under three categories, namely, above average, average and below average. The children are then provided reading material and specialized attention as per their category. Computers, books, encyclopedias, projectors, films, models, science kits and specialized teaching-learning material developed by experts as well as guest teachers add interest to the process of learning. Children are also taken out on exposure visits
to places of interest during vacation breaks. The centres also help identify special children like physically or mentally challenged, those with learning disabilities, those with special diseases / disorders like Congenital Heart Disorders (CHDs) and guide their parents to overcome these hurdles. This is achieved by regular growth monitoring and health check-ups at regular intervals. These centres are not ‘tuition classes’ nor are they ‘schools after school-hour’. They are a place where children are encouraged to develop interest in ‘learning’, inculcate values, dissociate education from employment, pick-up some life-skills and get a chance of participating in their own development.
The New Education Policy places special emphasis on pre-primary education of children under six years of age. A research by Natasha Joshi (2020) reveals that children who are not talked to properly in the early years of their life fail to learn to read and write properly. Poor and vulnerable children, whose parents might migrate for work or not be around often to talk to the children therefore, are under the risk of this. In order to address this concern, Swapath Trust has also been closely been working with Balwadis to work on the early and foundational years of these children. Through songs, music and talking, children in the Balwadis are kept engaged and attended to throughout the day. Till date, Swapath Trust has worked with 375 children in 15 Balwadis.
Swapath also supports 100 orphaned/injured/needy primary school children in the state of Jammu and Kashmir so that they do not drop out of school. The effort is supplemented by inputs by Vishwagram volunteers who offer training and inputs to children and teachers twice every year. Overall, Swapath Trust has so far supported 9000+ students under the School Retention Programme and 100 students in the year 2022-23.